Man ‘finds world’s most venomous spider’ in Sainsbury’s bananas (2023)

FAQs

What are the chances of a spider being in a banana? ›

There is simply no chance for spider eggs to get into a banana. Nor would a species that did this survive long, since spiderlings in an uneaten banana could never escape. Not that eating spider eggs would cause any harm even if this fantasy were true! This myth has already spawned variations.

Its scientific name, Phoneutria, translate as “murderess” in Greek. Like the wandering spider, the one in Stein's bananas had a body length of around two inches and was covered in brown hair.

"If you do find eggs on your bananas, the best thing to do is wash them off, if you are really worried you could put them in the freezer to kill them - then enjoy your banana!" Buglife also has lots of information about spiders found on bananas on their website, here.

Brazilian wandering spider

The Guinness Book of World Records considers the Brazilian wandering spider the most venomous in the world. Hundreds of bites are reported annually, but a powerful anti-venom prevents deaths in most cases.

Most banana spiders are not dangerous to humans. The Brazilian wandering spider is more venemous than others, but it rarely appears in international shipments. Spiders typically don't bite humans unless held or threatened. A bite from any type of banana spider may cause pain or irritation, but it's not usually deadly.

Nope! Banana peels are totally edible, if prepared correctly. Bananas are known for their high potassium content, with each medium fruit containing a whopping 422 milligrams. The peel contains an additional 78 milligrams of potassium, plus plenty of filling fiber.

A bite from the banana spider (also known as the Brazilian wandering spider) of Central and South American rain forests causes shortness of breath, excessive salivation, tremors and—for men—a persistent, intensely painful erection, known as priapism in the medical community.

Nephila clavipes is a large size and brightly colored species of the orb-web spider family. Nephila comes from Ancient Greek, meaning fond of spinning. Most people call them banana or golden silk spiders, but other common names are calico spider, giant wood spider, golden silk orb weaver and writing spiders.

Each year, only one new generation of banana spiders is born, and adults do not live long after the female's final molt. Females will live for about one month after the molt, and males only survive for 2 to 3 weeks after.

Myth: Spiders can lay their eggs under human skin in wounds created by their bites. Fact: In a surprisingly widespread urban legend, a nameless woman is bitten by a spider (usually on her cheek) while on vacation. She later develops a swelling, from which, in due course, baby spiders emerge!

Are spider eggs edible? ›

But lest you be tempted to "taste the rainbow," please hold back, as some spider eggs are known to be toxic, according to a study published in August 2017 in the Journal of Arachnology.

Spider egg sacs are usually white to cream in color and will be either round or oblong in shape. Some egg sacs are smooth, while others may contain spikes or bumps. Black widow eggs are small, about the size of a pencil eraser.

Myth: The daddy-longlegs has the world's most powerful venom, but fortunately its jaws (fangs) are so small that it can't bite you. Fact: That is a full-fledged Urban Legend, with no basis in fact whatever.

The urban myth that daddy longlegs are venomous is just that - a myth! It's true that they cannot bite, but the venomous rumour is likely to have been due to its confusion with certain species of spiders.

Phoneutria are poisonous to humans, and they are considered to be the deadliest of all the world's spiders. Their venom is toxic to the nervous system, causing symptoms such as salivation, irregular heartbeat, and prolonged, painful erections (priapism) in men.

According to the Guinness World Records, the Sydney funnel-web spider, Atrax robustus, is the most dangerous spider to humans in the world. Native to Australia, this poisonous spider is found in moist habitats such as under logs or in gardens.

A Brown Recluse Spider Bite Caused A Woman To Hallucinate And Become Paralyzed, And There Are Dozens More Hiding In Her Home. The brown recluse spider may not look intimidating, but it is one of the most dangerous spider species in the United States.

Fatalities from the bite of banana spiders are rare if you are close to a well-equipped hospital. However, people bitten by this spider must seek immediate emergency treatment because the venom is possibly life-threatening. There is an antivenom available for banana spider bites.

However, bananas themselves are already good sources of those nutrients, so it's not necessary to eat the peel as well, although it's safe to do so. Eating banana peels can expose you to contaminants or pesticides, so it's important to scrub them carefully if you happen to like the taste and texture.

They're full important nutrients, but eating too many could end up doing more harm than good. Too much of any single food may contribute to weight gain and nutrient deficiencies. One to two bananas per day is considered a moderate intake for most healthy people.

Is it OK to eat banana peel? ›

If you've been wondering if you can eat raw, cooked or even frozen banana peels, the answer is yes! If you are going to eat your banana peel, know that—just like the fruit itself—the riper the peel, the sweeter it will taste.

Within 30 minutes, symptoms become systemic and include high or low blood pressure, fast or a slow heart rate, nausea, abdominal cramping, hypothermia, vertigo, blurred vision, convulsions and excessive sweating associated with shock.

Most spider bites are harmless, and symptoms will go away after a few days. Seek immediate medical care if you suspect a black widow or brown recluse spider bite. If you have life threatening symptoms, the bite gets worse, or you have an allergic reaction, seek medical care right away.

Since wolf spiders are large, their bite may be painful. If you have mild pain, swelling, or itchiness around the bite, it shouldn't last long. The pain should go away within minutes. The swelling should go down slowly, and the itching may last a few days as the skin heals.

How Dangerous Are Banana Spiders? The golden silk orb-weaver has a bite to match its scary appearance. Luckily their venom is not potent enough to seriously injure a healthy adult. It is, however, potent enough to hospitalize an infant, pet, or person with affected allergies or health problems.

This giant tarantula spans nearly a foot and weighs as much as a baseball, but might not be as terrifying as its reputation suggests. With a leg span nearly a foot wide, the goliath bird-eater is the world's biggest spider. And it has a special defense mechanism to keep predators from considering it as a meal.

Banana spiders may look intimidating, but they're actually timid and not considered dangerous. Though they aren't poisonous, their bite can be painful.

Banana spiders are mainly found outside. Like many other species of spiders, they may find their way inside when following prey, or when the weather outside becomes too harsh for them to live comfortably. Inside, banana spiders can be found in dark quiet places like basements, crawl spaces, and closets.

Appearance: How To Identify Banana Spiders

A very large female can have a leg span that's over 5 inches, and they grow even bigger around human habitation due to the availability of prey. Males and females both have eight legs and slender bodies, though a gravid female's abdomen is round like a gumball.

Different banana spiders live in different places around the world. The ones that are found in banana plants live in Central and South America. Some known as golden silk orb weavers live in warm regions like Asia, Africa, Australia and the Americas while others live in the islands of the Pacific Ocean.

Can spiders live in human hair? ›

So have spiders been found to dwell within human hair? There is probably not even a grain of truth to these stories, and as you can guess, spiders do not find the human scalp, with its rows of hair, an ideal place to lay their eggs.

The only arthropod capable of burrowing into the skin is the scabies mite. These are easily diagnosed by dermatologists. In extremely rare cases (an exposed skin wound, or by ingestion of contaminated food) fly maggots (myiasis) can infest human flesh. Again, these are easily diagnosed by a physician.

Even if you sleep with your mouth open, if a spider managed to crawl in, you would probably just cough really hard and kill them in the process. So the good news is, spiders simply cannot survive inside you. They are far more likely to hang out in dark and secluded areas that aren't a part of your body.

The taste has been described as bland, "rather like a cross between chicken and cod", with a contrast in texture from a crispy exterior to a soft centre. The legs contain little flesh, while the head and body have "a delicate white meat inside".

In Cambodia, fried tarantulas are a delicacy. Often rolled in sugar or garlic, the spiders are eaten by the handful out of street vendors' carts by local residents and adventurous tourists alike.

Objectively, it doesn't taste too bad -- similar in style to crab. However given that scientists say flavor is influenced significantly by the way food appears and smells, it should come as little surprise my mind's made up the moment I look at this hairy beast.

Spiders usually have eight eyes (some have six or fewer), but few have good eyesight. They rely instead on touch, vibration and taste stimuli to navigate and find their prey.

Spider Eggs Sacs are typically small white or light-colored spheres that look similar to golf balls or grapes. These eggs are usually wrapped inside a silk sac to help incubate the offspring. The Size of Spider Egg Sacs is often smaller than a quarter.

As you open storage containers containing your cool weather wear it is important to be on the lookout for any spiders. They could be hiding in your clothing, in your shoes, or just lurking in the back of the closet.

Black widows are the most venomous spider in North America. Their venom is about 15 times stronger than rattlesnake venom, and uses a chemical called alpha-latrotoxin to overwhelm nerve cells and cause immense pain.

Can you eat a daddy long leg? ›

If a human wants to be harmed by these daddy-longlegs, it might be possible if you gather up a humongous bunch of daddy-longlegs and eat them. As Paracelsus told us centuries ago, the dose makes the poison—and even water is poisonous in sufficient quantities.

They have two body segments, a cephalothorax (fused head and body) and an abdomen. The daddy longlegs' waist is broad, leading one author to say it resembles a rice krispies on legs. They “hear” via vibrations. Their eyes are on short stalks that look like antennae (which arachnids don't have); their eyesight is poor.

Vacuuming is the easiest way to remove any daddylonglegs that you find in your home. Vacuuming also helps to remove food sources from your carpets and furniture. Keep house dry.

Jumping spiders do possess fangs and produce venom, but the venom is not a medical threat. While they can bite, the jumping spider bite is not poisonous. They are not considered dangerous.

Atrax robustus, also known as the Sydney funnel web spider, has venom so potent, it can kill in just 15 minutes.

The black widow spider makes a venom that affects your nervous system. Some people are slightly affected by it, but others may have a severe response. Right away, you may feel severe pain, burning, swelling, and redness at the site. You may even see two fang marks.

In rare and extreme cases, black widow spider venom poisoning may lead to seizures and even death. Death generally doesn't occur in healthy adults. Young people, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems are more susceptible to serious complications and death from a black widow spider bite.

“In the 1950s, it was common for people to find insects in bananas, then it became less common. This is the cost of reducing pesticides.” Bunches of fruit provide a perfect environment for creepy crawlies to hide in, says Barclay - which also explains why black widow spiders are sometimes found in bunches of grapes.

Banana spiders are large spiders found throughout the southeastern United States. Banana spiders receive their name because of the yellow/golden-colored silk they create to make their very large webs which they use to catch flying insects, their main food source.

The arachnids, which hide among bunches of bananas and other fruit shipped from South America to the United States and the United Kingdom, can frighten the daylights out of unsuspecting humans.

Do banana spiders eat cockroaches? ›

Though Nephila spiders eat insects, they do not eat all kinds of insects. Some species will remove wasps and winged ants that get caught in their web because they are distasteful. Others seem to be terrified of perfectly catchable and edible cockroaches.

Fortunately, this spider species is exceptionally infrequently encountered in the U.S. Spiders possessing the common name banana spiders found in the U.S. are able to bite, but their bite is not as harmful or painful as bites from other spiders, like the brown recluse or black widow spider.

Brazilian Wandering Spiders are a large aggressive spider that is known for its lethal and poisonous bite.

Banana spiders may look intimidating, but they're actually timid and not considered dangerous. Though they aren't poisonous, their bite can be painful.

The banana spider web can be quite large — often up to 6 feet in diameter. These webs are incredibly strong with intricate designs. Female banana spiders weave the giant webs in forest areas, often along walking trails.